Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 5LS Loudspeakers

Anthony Gallo Acoustics (AGA) will display and demoed its all-new Reference 5LS line source loudspeaker today. Scheduled to be shipping by the second quarter of 2008, the towering speaker stands 78” tall, boasts an incredible 12 custom aluminum 4” woofers and features seven of AGA’s proprietary CDT II tweeters, which possess power-handling, off-axis response and efficiency that reportedly approach the textbook definition of ideal.  In addition, the Reference 5LS has eight 4" carbon fiber midrange drivers, each housed it its own 5" spherical enclosure. All enclosure parts utilize brushed stainless steel and cast aluminum throughout.

Many line sources horizontally offset their various drivers, but AGA alternates tweeter cylinders with mid-range spheres – vertically one atop the other - in perfect time alignment. As a result, the phase and dispersion anomalies caused by the horizontal driver offsets are entirely eliminated.  For additional flexibility, the 5LS features an additional pair of binding posts that offer a 2db increase in high frequencies for optimization of more varied room acoustics.

The 5LS offers the options of bi- or tri-wiring, as well as bi- or tri-amping. Although capable of handling massive power, the crossover-less design and high efficiency of both the CDT II tweeters and carbon-fiber midrange drivers are perfect mates for low-powered, high-performance amplifiers.

At 7” wide by 11” deep, the Reference 5LS sports quite a slender profile. The twelve 4” rear-firing subwoofers are “time corrected” with the front firing drivers and nearly equal the surface area of a 15” subwoofer, while offering the speed and transparency that a large single driver cannot match. In addition, the Reference 5LS features AGA’s patented S2 Technology, as well as their trademark spherical enclosures, which minimizes external diffraction and internal standing waves.

For even more flexibility, AGA offers an optional Reference SA amplifier, which features volume, phase, equalization and crossover adjustments. The Reference SA allows the speaker to be positioned for optimal imaging and soundstaging performance without compromising bass linearity.  The amp was also designed to be used as the primary subwoofer amp from an LFE output to integrate the 5LS into a home theater environment without the use of an outboard subwoofer. For more information visit:  www.roundsound.com

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.